Combination photograph easel and mailing envelope unit



arch 23, 1965 c. c. WALTON COMBINATION PHOTOGRAPH EASEL AND MAILING ENVELOPE UNIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 30, 1963 FIG-2 CHARLES CLARK WALTON March 23, 1965 c. c. WALTON COMBINATION PHOTOGRAPH EASEL AND MAILING ENVELOPE UNIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 30, 1963 CHARLES CLARK WALTON ATTORNEY United States Patent Q 3,174,244 COMBINATION PHOTOGRAPH EASEL AND MAILING ENVELOPE UNIT Charles Clark Walton, 59 Wisteria Drive, Dayton 19, Ohio Filed Jan. 30, 1963, Ser. No. 254,905 2 Claims. (Cl. 40-158) This invention relates to a combination photograph easel and mailing folder or envelope unit.

In the photographic art, it is frequently desired to provide means by which a photograph may be easily and readily mailed. Also, in the photographic art it is desired to have means by which a photograph may be mounted in an easel type of structure.

It is an object of this invention to provide a unit which forms a folder or envelope in which a photograph may be mailed and which unit is readily convertible into an easel to support the photograph for viewing thereof.

It is another object of this invention to provide such a unit which may be constructed at relatively low costs, is durable, and long-lived.

Other objects and advantages reside in the construction of parts, the combination thereof, the method of manufacture, and the mode of operation, as will become more apparent from the following description.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view showing a body of material formed so as to constitute a step in the construction of a unit of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view showing the reverse side of the structure of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view showing another step in the construction of the unit of this invention.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view illustrating a step in the formation of the unit as an envelope or folder for mailing a photograph.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view illustrating another step in the formation of the unit as a mailing folder or envelope.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view showing the unit as a mailing folder or envelope for a photograph.

FIGURE 7 illustrates a step in the formation of the unit as an easel.

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view showing another step in the formation of the unit as an easel.

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view, with parts broken away, showing the unit in the form of an easel.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a combination photograph easel and mailing envelope unit of this invention comprises a strip or body 16 of material, preferably card stock material or the like. The strip or body 16 is an elongate member which may be cut from a larger sheet by any suitable process.

The strip 16 has a tab 18 at one end thereof which is attached to a flap portion 20. The flap portion 20 is joined to a first portion 22 which, in turn, is joined to a second portion 24, and which, in turn, is joined to a third portion 26.

The third portion 26 has an opening or Window 28 therethrough. The second portion 24 has a pair of parallel slits, or slots 30 and 32 therethrough. For purposes of discussion, the surface of the strip 16 shown in FIGURE 1 is the front surface thereof and the reverse surface of the strip 16 is shown in FIGURE 2.

The front surface of the first portion 22 is shown as being provided with printed matter. Also, the reverse surface of the second portion 24 and the reverse surface of the flap portion 20 are shown provided with printed matter.

Broken lines 40, 42, 44, and 46 which are shown as separating the portions 26, 24, 22, 20, and 18 of the 3,174,244 Patented Mar. 23, 1965 strip 16 may be visible or invisible and may, if desired, consist of score lines of any suitable type.

In providing a mounting pocket for retaining a photograph 50, the third portion 26 is folded over the front surface of the second portion 24, the fold occuring along the line 40. The front surface of the third portion 26 is attached to the front surface of the second portion 24 in any suitable manner. Herein, the front surface of the portion 24 is shown in FIGURE 3 as being provided with adhesive material 52 along the upper and lower edges thereof for securing the portion 26 to the portion 24.

Thus, a pocket is provided between the portions 26 and 24 within which the photograph 50 is retained. The photograph 50 is visible through the opening or window 28 in the third portion 26, as shown in FIGURE 4.

The printed matter on the forward surface of the portion 22, as shown, relates to a birth announcement so that the photograph 50 may be a new baby picture.

As shown in FIGURE 5, the pocket section formed by the portions 24 and 26 may be folded on the line 42 and be disposed adjacent the portion 22. Then, as shown in FIGURE 6, the flap 20 is folded about the line 44 and the tab 18 is inserted into the slot 30 of the portion 24. In this manner, a mailing folder or envelope for the photograph 50 is provided.

The printed matter on the reverse surface of the flap 20 and the printed matter on the reverse surface of the portion 24 provide a form for address, return address, and stamp position of the mailing envelope.

After the mailing envelope is received by the addressee, it may be opened as shown in FIGURE 7. Then, the portion 22 is folded back behind the portion 24, as shown in FIGURE 8. Then the flap 20 is folded with respect to the portion 22 and the tab 18 is folded about the line 46 and inserted through the slot 32, as shown in FIGURE 9. The tab 18 is thus disposed intermediate the portions 24 and 26 but is not visible through the opening or window 28. Thus, only the photograph 50 is visible through the opening or window 28 as the photograph 50 is carried by the easel structure of this invention.

Thus, the structure of this invention comprises both a mailing folder or envelope for a photograph and also comprises an easel for the photograph.

Although the preferred embodiment of the device has been described, it will be understood that within the purview of this invention various changes may be made in the form, details, proportion and arrangement of parts, the combination thereof and mode of operation, which generally stated consist in a device capable of carrying out the objects set forth, as disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

The invention thus having been described, the following is claimed:

1. A combination photograph easel and mailing folder comprising:

an elongate substantially rectangular body of card stock material having a plurality of laterally aligned portions, there being a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion, the portions being substantially equal in area, one of the longitudinal edges of the rectangular body forming a bottom edge,

a flap extending laterally from the first portion,

a tab attached to the flap and extending laterally therefrom,

the third portion having an opening therethrough, the

second portion having a first slit and a second slit, each of the slits being substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the elongate body of material, the third portion being foldable over the second portion and attached thereto substantially parallel therewith so that a pocket section is formed within which a photograph is retained, the photograph being observable through the opening in the third portion, the pocket section thus being laterally positioned with respect to the first portion, the pocket section having a front side and a reverse side,

the first portion being a message portion and being foldably movable over the front side of the pocket section to cover the pocket section with the first portion disposed substantially parallel to the second and third portions, the flap covering a part of the second portion with the tab disposed within the second slit to retain the first portion with respect to the pocket section to form an envelope for the photop the first portion being pivotally movable to an angular position at the reverse side of the pocket section with the bottom edge of said body of material adapted to rest upon a support surface, the flap extending angularly from the first portion with the tab disposed within the first slit to secure the flap at an angle with respect to the second and third portions at the reverse side of the pocket section so that an easel is formed, the flap having an edge adapted to engage a support surface as said bottom edge of said body of material rests upon the support surface.

2. A combination photograph easel and mailing folder comprising:

an elongate substantially rectangular body of card stock material having a plurality of laterally aligned portions, there being a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion, the portions being substantially equal in area,

a flap extending laterally from the first portion,

a tab attached to the flap and extending laterally therefrom,

the third portion having an opening therethrough,

the second portion having at least one slit therein, each 4 slit being substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the elongate body of material,

the third portion being foldable over the second portion and attached thereto substantially parallel therewith so that a pocket section is formed Within which a photograph is retained, the photograph being observable through the opening in the third portion, the pocket section thus being laterally positioned with respect to the first portion, the pocket section having a front side and a reverse side,

the first portion being foldably movable over the front side of the pocket section to cover the pocket section with the first portion disposed substantially parallel to the second and third portions, the flap covering a part of the second portion with the tab disposed within a slit of the second portion to retain the first portion with respect to the pocket section to form an envelope for the photograph,

the first portion being pivotally movable to an angular References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 828,984 8/06 Sweet 248-459 X 1,521,940 1/25 Gilmore 124.1 1,524,338 1/25 Chesney Q. 40'152.l 1,629,670 5/27 Malme 40-159 L. WILLIAM VARNER, Primary Examiner. JEROME SCHNALL, Examiner. 

1. A COMBINATION PHOTOGRAPH EASEL AND MAILING FOLDER COMPRISING: AN ELONGATE SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR BODY OF CARD STOCK MATERIAL HAVING A PLURALITY OF LATERALLY ALIGNED PORTIONS, THERE BEING A FIRST PORTION, A SECOND PORTION, AND A THIRD PORTION, THE PORTIONS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL IN AREA, ONE OF THE LONGITUDINAL EDGES OF THE RECTANGULAR BODY FORMING A BOTTOM EDGE, A FLAP EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM THE FIRST PORTION, A TAB ATTACHED TO THE FLAP AND EXTENDING LATERALLY THEREFROM, THE THIRD PORTION HAVING AN OPENING THERETHROUGH, THE SECOND PORTION HAVING A FIRST SLIT AND A SECOND SLIT, EACH OF THE SLITS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE ELONGATE BODY OF MATERIAL, THE THIRD PORTION BEING FOLDABLE OVER THE SECOND PORTION AND ATTACHED THERETO SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL THEREWITH SO THAT A POCKET SECTION IS FORMED WITHIN WHICH A PHOTOGRAPH IS RETAINED, THE PHOTOGRAPH BEING OBSERVABLE THROUGH THE OPENING IN THE THIRD PORTION, THE POCKET SECTION THUS BEING LATERALLY POSITIONED WITH RESPECT TO THE FIRST PORTION, THE POCKET SECTION HAVING A FRONT SIDE AND A REVERSE SIDE, THE FIRST PORTION BEING A MESSAGE PORTION AND BEING 